Ratchet mechanism



Dec. 15 1925- 1 W. R. LEE

RATCHET MECHANI SM FilegLJuly 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

INV.ENTOR W131 ee ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. LEE, GALENA, KANSAS.

RATGHET MECHANISM.

Application filed July 20, 1925. Serial No. 44,883.

ratchet mechanism of the character described in which the locking pin may be made to disengage the ratchet teeth and permit movement of the member carrying the ratchet teeth with respect to the member carrying the pin in a direction opposed to the normal direction of travel of the ratchet toothed member when the pin is engaging with the teeth thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide a ratchet mechanism of the character described in which the locking pin is operatively disengaged with the ratchet teeth by mere movement of the tooth-bearing member with respect to the locking pin bearing member.

A further object of my invention is to provide a ratchet mechanism of the character described which is particularly well adapted for use in reversible ratchet wrench es and the like. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a ratchet mechanism of the character described which is extremely simple in construction, which is automatic in opera tion, and which is thoroughly efficient fo the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this ap; plication, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a wrench embodying my improved ratchet mechanism,

Figure 2 is asection view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3is view of the outer peripheral wall of a part of the device illustrated in Figure 1, laid in a common plane,

Figure a im l fied form 9, my lYQ l' tion showing'the bottom view of a lock nut embodying my improved ratchet mechanism,

Figure 5 is a view of an engaging surface for the lock nut illustrated in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a modified form of my invention'incorpor'ated in an extension ladder embodying my improved ratchet mechanism,

Figure 7 is a section View along the line 7-7 of Flgure 6,

Figure 8 is a view along the line 88 of Figure 6, and

Figure 9 is still another modified form of my invention.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a pair of movable elements, one having ratchet teeth and the other a locking pin. In Figures 1, 2 and 3 I have shown this structure embodied in a wrench in which 1 is a work-engagingmember, such as found in the ordinary type of socket wrench. This member is substantially annular in contour and is rotatably mounted within an annular body member 2. The body member 2 has a handle portion 3 by means of which the body member may be rotated so as to impart rotative movement to the member 1 through my improved ratchet mechanism.

This mechanism consists in a spring pressed longitudinal member locking pin 4 which is also free to swing laterally in a plane in common with the axes of the members 1 and 2, (see Figure 2). The spring 5 for actuating the locking pin 4 is adjustable asto tension by provision of a threaded plug 6 which is projected within a threaded bore 7 extending longitudinally of the handle member 3 Within which the pin is also partially disposed.

The outer peripheral wall of the member 1 is shown in Figure 3 and the peculiar structure of this wall comprises the principal features of my invention. This wall is substantially divided into two coursesA and B by the provision of broken partition walls 8. The course A has a plurality of ratchet teeth 9 forengaging with the pin 4 to prevent rotation of the member 1, in the presentcase in a clock-wise direction as viewed in Figure 1.. r The course B'has a plurality of ratchet teeth 10 which are constructed so as to prevent rotation of the member 1 in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, by engagement of the pin 4: there. with. l Q

It is this appare t t t it the pin l is in registration with the course A, that the member 1 may not rotate 1n a clockwise direction, but is free to rotate in a counter-clockwise directiom and that if the locking pin t is in registration with the course B, that the converse is true.

Each of the adjacent inclined surfaces of the teeth 9 and 10 adjacent to their lowermost ends are connected by means of an oblique groove 11 so as to cause the locking pin 4 to be guided late ally from one lane to the other where reversal of movement of the meirber 2 carrying the pin is performed after the pin has moved more than one-half of the distance between the preceding tooth and the succeeding tooth.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Let us assume that it is desired to tighten a nut upon a bolt. The head of the nut is projected through the bore 12 in the member 1 and the handle 2 moved me clockwise di rection. Assuming that the locking pin -l is in regisitrationwith the course B, the pin will. engage with a tooth 10 and cause the member 1* to be rotated in a clockwise direction. .Vhen the handle 3 has been turned as tar as the work will permit, the handle is moved in a counter-clockwise direction so that the pin 4i passes over the teeth 10 and over the edge 13 of the groove 11. The mechanic will become accustomed to the clickingot the pin as it passes-over the teeth 10 and the edges 13, and will know that every second click will bring the pin again into registration with the teeth 10 so that for clockwise movement of the member 1. two, four, six .or eight clicks as the handle is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, will maintain the pin in registration with the teeth 10 in the course 13.

Let us assume now that it is desired to untasten the nut. To this end, the handle 3 is moved so that but one click is heard provided of course that the pin is in registra tion with the teeth ll) and not in the groove 11 or the end oi the groove. This will guide the pin through the groove 11 into the course A, whereupon rotation of the handle 3 in a counter-clockwise direction will move the member 1 therewith. The same rule as to counting the clicks of the pin over the teeth 9 and the adjacent edge ll of the groove 11 will apply to operation of the member 1 in a counter-cloclnviso direction.

\Vhat l have thus provided is a ratchet mechanism which is auton'iatically reversible by the mere movement of one of the two elements with which the teeth and the locking pin, respectively, are associated.-

In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which my improved ratchetmechanism is embodied in a nut lock consisting of a nut 20 having a pair of endless courses A and B corresponding to the courses A and B shown in Figure 3 formed on the bottom wall of the nut and disposed concentric with the axis of the nut. The course B hasteeth 21 corresponding with the teeth 10 shown in Figure 3. These teeth are disposed so as to engage with a latei'allyniovable locking pin 22 mounted for lateral movement upon a washer 23 which is fixed against movement in any well known manner with respect to the bolt upon which the nut is used so as to normally pre vent rotation of the nut in a counter-clockwise direction. This structure prevents the nut from turning back oil the bolt under normal conditions when the pin 22 Which corresponds to the pin 4: is in engagem nt with the teeth 21.

Guide grooves 2% corresponding to the grooves 11 shown in Figure 3 are employed for conducting the pin 22 from the course- B to the course A in precisely the same manner as the pin is conducted from the course A to the course B in Figure 3. Thus when it is desired to remove the nut from the bolt, the nut is turned so that the pin drops into the groove 24L at 25 and is then turned in a counter-clo ,kwise direction so as to guide the pin into the course A, whereupon continued rotation will remove the nut from the bolt. a

It should be understood at this time tha while I have shown one locking pin 22 that two locking pins may be used, one ahead of the other so as to cause one of the two pins to eugage'with one of the teeth 21 with relatively less movement of the nut than re quired with one pin.

In Figures 6, 7 and .8, l. have shown still a further modified form of my invention which is particularly well adapted for use with extension ladders. Referring to Figure (5. .l have shown two sections C and D of an extension ladder which sections are secured against lateral movement apart from one another by the provision of guide members 26 and 27 The upper end or the section C has a pivotally mounted spring pressed dog 28 d1s posed therein which is yieldingly projected toward the section D The sections C and D are arranged for longitudinal movement with respect to one another so that the section D may be moved above thesection C as in extending the ladder. My improved ratchet mechanism when applied to the extension ladder is lor the purpose of preventing the section D from falling downwardly with respect to the section C and to this end two sections A and B identical to the courses A and B shown in Figure 4, but in vertical alignment, are formed on the innermost face 29 of the section D. The course B has teeth 30 corresponding to the teeth 21. shown in Figure l which engage with lUl) the pin 28 when the pin is in registration with the course B to prevent the section D from moving toward the section C.

Guide grooves 2 F corresponding to the guide grooves 24 shown in Figure 4: are provided for conducting the locking pin 28 from the course B to the course A when the section D is raised so as to permit the pin to fall below the portion 25 of the grooves 24. Thus the section D may be lowered or locked in position while elevated at will.

It should be noted at this time that if the ladder is intended for use with the section D suspended and the section C depending leelow the section D as in the case of the fire ladder, and which must also be available for use with the section 0 resting upon the ground and the section D disposed upon the section C, that the ratchet teeth may be identical in arrangement with those courses A and B illustrated in Figure 3.

In Figure 9 I have shown still a further modified form of my invention which is primarily intended for installation upon the outer side walls of a window sash. The locking pin employed with this form of the invention is identical with the locking pin 28 shown in Figures 6 and 7. The courses A and B are constructed with the teeth of the ratchet 32 in the course B arranged so as to stop downward movement of the sash.

The course A consists of a single conducting groove extending longitudinally of the sash and parallel with the aligned teeth 32. The guide groove 24: is formed at the lowermost end of the sash beneath the lower of the teeth 3.1 which is provided for the purpose of moving the pin 28 into reg istration with the course A when the sash is moved clear to the top, thus upon lowering the sash the pin may pass along the course B and permit the unobstructed downward movement of the sash.

hen the sash has reached the bottom of its travel, the pin will fall over the portion 33 and into a groove 34 which will conduct the pin back into the course B when the sash is raised again.

It should be noted that such an arrangement of teeth as shown in Figure 8 may be employed in place of the arrangement shown in Figure 9 in the window sash if desired,

therein for engaging with the locking pin, the teeth in one course having their pinengaging portions facing in a direction opposite to the pin-engaging portions of the remaining course, said member being fur ther provided with grooves for guiding the pin from one course to the other.

2. As a machine element, a ratchet mechanism comprising a member having a spring pressed locking pin, a second member associated with the first named member, said members being movable with respect to one another, said second named member having a wall formed with a pair of parallel courses, each course having ratchet teeth formed therein for engaging with the locking pin, the teeth in one course having their pin-engaging portions facing in a direction opposite to the pin-engaging portions of the remaining course, said member having a groove for guiding the pin from one course to the other.

3. As a machine element, a ratchet mechanism comprising a member having a spring pressed locking pin, a second member associated with the first named member, said 'iembers being movable with respect to one another, said second named member having a wall formed with a pair of parallel courses, each course having 'ratchet teeth formed therein for engaging with the locking pin, the teeth in one course having their pinengaging portions facing in a direction opposite to the pin-engaging portions of the remaining course, said member having grooves connecting the two courses with one another for guiding the locking pin from one course to the other, said grooves communicating with the courses at each end at points adjacent to the lower parts of the inclined surfaces of the ratchet teeth.

4. A ratchet mechanism as a machine ele ment, a member having a spring pressed locking pin, a second member associatedwith the first named member, said members being movable with respect to one another, said second named member having a wall formed with a pair of parallel courses, one of said courses having a plurality of ratchet teeth formed therein for engaging with the locking pin, said member being further provided with a groove for guiding the pin from one course to the other.

5. A ratchet mechanism as a machine ele- WILLIAM L); 

